Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has held its first elections since the inking of the nuclear deal and the lifting of sanctions. The results indicate a significant increase of reformers in the national assembly. Reformers are also doing well in the Assembly of Experts which will likely appoint a new Read More …
Four out of five stars This is a slow-paced but intriguing Iranian film about a young woman from a city on the mainland sent to a small island to collect votes for the national election. She is accompanied on her mission by a local soldier who is initially baffled by Read More …
Russia and the area that’s now Turkey got along back in the Middle Ages. Muscovite princes sent pelt-filled barges down the Dnieper to Byzantine princes. Relations have been rather bad since then. The two countries fought in the First World War and a half century before that, several European powers Read More …
Many states have been supporting various sides in Syria. This has contributed to the stalemate of the last few years. Last fall Russia upped its position by introducing airpower, and Iran did the same by sending in IRGC troops and militias it recruited from the Shia world. It’s tempting to Read More …
Secretary of State Kerry and Foreign Minister Lavrov have come to a tentative agreement on a ceasefire in Syria which will allow humanitarian aid to reach hapless civilians. The timing is unclear, as are the likely effectiveness and duration. Optimism in recent days has faded. Whatever comes of it will shed Read More …
The Syrian offensive, backed by Russian airpower and Iranian ground troops, has finally made some gains, both in the south near Deraa and in the north near Aleppo. A major battle is shaping up around the latter. It remains to be seen if it indeed becomes a significant battle, or Read More …
Vladimir Putin is determined to act boldly in the world. This will signal the world, especially the US and NATO, that Russia is again a major actor in the world. Further, it strengthens his domestic support and his grasp on the power that great Russian tsars and general secretaries once Read More …
Riyadh has announced it would participate in coalition ground operations in the Syrian civil war. The statement loses boldness when it’s noted that there are no such ground operations in the offing. The Saudis have accomplished two things with the proclamation. First, they have, to some extent, countered the Read More …
Kurdistan, the northern region of Iraq, has been heading toward independence for many years. Thwarted in their statehood effort after World War I, the Kurds are determined not to let today’s opportunity slip away. After Gulf War I the US and other powers established an aircap over northern Iraq, preventing Read More …
During World War Two, soldiers of the American 1st Infantry Division observed that the army consisted of them and millions of rear-echelon troops. Big Red One indeed led the way into North Africa and Normandy, but the comment was more lament or boast than fact. Special forces troops of Afghanistan Read More …